Quirky and unusual spots in Rouen

As you walk along Rue Martainville past the Church of Saint-Maclou, keep an eye out for the entrance to the haunting Aître Saint-Maclou. You’ll enter a very strange courtyard – a medieval plague cemetery. With wooden beams carved with skulls, bones, swords and sleeping faces of the dead, it’s a unique site in Europe recalling the devastating black death. Reopening after two years of renovations bringing a new life to this medieval marvel, a range of cultural initiatives are dedicated to arts and crafts of Normandy.

This church in the Prefecture neighbourhood is rather intriguing. Founded in 1926, it is dedicated to Olav, King of Norway, who according to the legend was baptised in Rouen. Linked to the Lutheran religion, considered a sanctuary and place of comfort, the church was the meeting place for Norwegian sailors who came to Rouen.

As you explore the maze of twisting, narrow lanes with timber-framed buildings which make Rouen so charming, make sure you don’t miss the Rue des Chanoines. Lined with colourful old half-timbered houses, it is arguably one of the best-preserved medieval street in the world and magically transports visitors back to medieval times. This delightful passage was used by ecclesiastical dignitaries a few times a day.

Rouen witnessed the tragic demise Saint Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who became the savior of France. Nowadays, her legacy and the legend that surrounds her continues to leave its mark in the city. Did you know you could see the very spot where she was burned at the stake for heresy? Next to the Church of Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc de Rouen is a large cross. According to historians, this is precisely where the torture took place in May 1431.

Heard of Ferdinand Marrou? Maybe not, but architecture fans are bound to love this famous French craftsman’s house in Rouen, which boasts spectacular ironwork and intricately carved woodwork.